Japan to Work With ASEAN on Myanmar Humanitarian Response
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Japan has thrown its weight behind Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship, hoping Kuala Lumpur will leverage the role to spearhead regional efforts to address the worsening crisis in Myanmar, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country, which has been further devastated by a powerful earthquake in March.
Japan's Ambassador to Malaysia, Noriyuki Shikata, said Japan stands ready to work with ASEAN to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to Myanmar and is also keen to support and engage in the country's reconstruction.
bootstrap slideshow
"The situation in Myanmar has worsened because of the quake. We have been dispatching our humanitarian assistance and wish to engage in the reconstruction of the country.
'But at this point in time, it is very difficult to effectively conduct and carry out humanitarian assistance,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV's The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch, on Wednesday.
"I have very strong expectations for Malaysia as chair of ASEAN to address these urgent issues, and Japan looks forward to supporting Malaysia's role as a chair of the ASEAN process," he added.
According to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), the 7.7-magnitude earthquake near Mandalay on March 28 has killed more than 3,700 people.
The quake caused widespread destruction to critical infrastructure and affected nearly 508,000 people, with more than 28,500 currently housed in 106 evacuation centres.
The total estimated cost stands at US$1.7 billion with authorities continuing to verify this figure, the centre said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysian Reserve
3 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Seoul welcomes ceasefire between Thailand, Cambodia
SEOUL — South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday welcomed a ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing hope that the border conflict would be peacefully resolved, Yonhap News Agency reported. Since last Thursday, the deadly border clashes between the two countries have killed at least 35 soldiers, injured over 140 people, and displaced some 260,000. Supported by Malaysia and the United States, the two countries reached a truce agreement earlier in the day. 'The South Korean government highly values the diplomatic efforts by related countries, such as the United States and Malaysia, to reach a truce agreement,' the ministry said. 'We will continue efforts for stability and peace in the region.' — BERNAMA-YONHAP
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Federal debt at RM1.3tril as of end-June
Deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said the government remains committed to achieving a fiscal deficit target of below 3% of the GDP, and keeping the debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% in the medium-term. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's federal debt rose to RM1.3 trillion at the end of June, largely driven by continued fiscal deficits to fund public development spending, says deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Lim said the increase from RM1.25 trillion at the end of last year was to support strategic development expenditure, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social protection programmes. She said the fiscal deficit reduced from 5.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 to 4.1% last year, and is projected to fall further to 3.8% in 2025. Debt growth is also slowing, from 10.2% in 2022 to 6.4% in 2024, with a further drop to around 6% projected for 2025. 'This is in line with the government's commitment to achieving a fiscal deficit target of below 3% of GDP, and keeping the debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% in the medium-term, as provided under the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act,' Lim said in response to a question from Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) during an oral question-and-answer session. Lim also outlined several control measures to curb debt growth, including broadening revenue base, rationalising subsidies, and enforcing strict guidelines for government guarantees and public-private partnerships. She said future borrowings would also be limited to high-impact development projects, while government guarantees would be capped at 25% of the GDP under the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act. To strengthen governance, enhance accountability, and improve institutional efficiency, the government is in the process of drafting the Government Procurement Bill and another bill to regulate state-owned enterprises, she added. BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, previously reported that Malaysia would likely miss its fiscal deficit target this year, as spending was seen exceeding projections and revenue might fall. Separately, Lim said household debt in Malaysia stood at RM1.65 trillion as at the end of March 2025, or 84.3% of the GDP. She said this should be viewed in the context of household financial assets remaining significantly higher than the total debt, indicating that the public's overall financial position remained strong. 'On aggregate, household financial assets continue to exceed debt by 2.1 times, providing a solid buffer for households,' she said in response to Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang), who inquired about the debt-to-GDP ratio. She added that the government and Bank Negara Malaysia remained committed to assisting credit users who faced financial difficulties.
Barnama
3 hours ago
- Barnama
Johor MB To Visit Singapore Under Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship
By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, July 29 (Bernama) -- Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi will undertake a three-day official visit to Singapore starting Wednesday, at the invitation of Singapore Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan. Singapore's Foreign Ministry said Onn Hafiz will also be visiting under the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship (LKYEF). bootstrap slideshow Onn Hafiz is the 82nd Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellow and the ninth from Malaysia. 'LKYEF, established since 1991, invites outstanding individuals to visit Singapore. The Fellows are chosen based on their track record and potential to contribute to the development of their nations and the strengthening of bilateral relations with Singapore,' the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. During the visit, Onn Hafiz is scheduled to call on Singapore Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong. He will also meet with Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow, and LKYEF Chairman Lee Tzu Yang. 'He will receive briefings and make site visits related to urban development and hawker management,' the statement said. -- BERNAMA
